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Update (August 12, 2024): The Fayetteville City Council voted in favor of petitioning the court to release the police body-camera footage of this incident, in which a police officer punched his K-9 multiple times. A PETA representative spoke during the council meeting, stating that resistance to releasing the body-camera footage can only mean that there’s something to hide. A local dog behavior expert also spoke in favor of releasing the footage, which she said ought to be used as a “learning tool” to address what happens when an officer loses control.
Original post:
Video footage recorded by a bystander shows what appears to be a Fayetteville, North Carolina, police officer abusing a K-9 in public on a Saturday afternoon in late June. In the footage, the handler is seen holding the dog by the collar so that the animal’s front legs are off the ground while the officer punches him in the face at least three times with a closed fist. The handler then drags the dog by the collar toward a police car, and the K-9 turns his head and nips at the handler but doesn’t appear to make contact. The handler grabs the dog by the muzzle, forcing his mouth shut, then swings him around by the collar while still holding his mouth closed.
After this news broke, the Fayetteville Police Department claimed that the incident “is being investigated by [its] internal affairs office.” On July 5, the department released a statement indicating that the handler had punched the dog in the face at least seven times. The statement includes a claim that the dog had bitten the handler and wouldn’t let go—something K-9s are trained to do. When no further action was publicly taken, PETA sent a letter to city officials asking them to intervene in order to ensure the safety of the K-9 and the community.
PETA is calling for the following:
- The K-9 must be removed from the abusive handler’s custody immediately. The officer should be reassigned to duties that don’t involve interaction with animals.
- The agency should review and revise its policies to use only humane training methods for K-9s.
- The department must release all footage of the incident, which demonstrates why the use of bite-trained K-9s should be phased out for everyone’s safety. An independent investigation by a nonbiased third-party agency should be conducted for the sake of transparency and accountability.
If the department can’t commit to handling its K-9s without abusing them, it should stop using dogs altogether.
If you agree with us, please send a message to Fayetteville’s mayor, city manager, and city council. Be sure to keep your message polite and respectful.